M151 MUTT
The M151 Military Utility Tactical Truck(M151 MUTT) was the successor to the aging Willys MB. Commonly referred to as a "jeep" or a "quarter-ton", the M151 was produced from 1959 through 1982, though it saw its most use in the Vietnam War. The M151 had a monocoque design making it roomier than previous jeep designs, and incorporated an independent suspension with coil springs. It has since been replaced by the larger AM General HMMWV in most utility roles in frontline use. The M151 were in still in U.S. military service all the way up to 1999, putting the M151-series in a longer run of service than that of the WW2 MB, M38 and M38A1 series combined. Design From the outside, the M151 had the same basic layout and dimensions of its predecessors. But, for all intents and purposes, the M151 was a completely new design. Unlike previous jeep designs, whose structure consisted of a steel tub bolted onto a separate steel frame, the M151 utilized a monocoque design, which integrated the box frame rails into the sheet-steel body-structure. Eliminating the separate frame gave the M151 slightly more ground clearance, while at the same time lowering the center of gravity. This process slightly enlarged the vehicle, making it roomier than previous jeep designs, while retaining the same light weight.Another area improved upon in the M151 was the suspension. Dispensing with the rigid live axles in the front and rear that all previous military jeeps used (a layout still used on modern day Jeeps), the M151 was instead equipped with an independent suspension and coil springs. This made it capable of high-speed, cross-country travel, while boasting high maneuverability and agility. The new suspension also had the added benefit of providing a more comfortable ride. To power the M151 along its journey was a 4 cylinder engine that produced 71 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 128 pound-feet of torque at 1800 rpm that was bolted to a 4-speed manual transmission.Unlike some other military transports, such as the Humvee, the M151 was never widely released into the civilian market. This was partly because the military claimed that it did not meet Federal highway safety standards for civilian vehicles, and also because of a series of early rollover accidents. While these were often blamed on the independent suspension, which played no small part, they were mostly due to driver errors, with operators unprepared for the increased performance compared to the Jeeps which it replaced. At high road speed, the rear suspension in a lightly loaded MUTT had a tendency to tuck under the vehicle during turns, causing it to roll. The vehicle's tendency to roll over was reduced when there was weight in the rear, so drivers would often place an ammunition box filled with sand under the rear seat when no other load was being carried. The box could simply be emptied or abandoned when the extra weight was not needed. Continuing problems with vehicle roll-overs into the 1980s led the US military to retrofit many M151 series vehicles with the "Roll over protection structure", a roll cage intended to protect both front and rear seat passengers.Interestingly, due to copyright and trademark issues, the M151 did not feature Jeep's distinctive seven vertical slot grille, instead, a horizontal grille was used. Category:Transportation